Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-11
FACTS ABOUT EELS.
How the Fish Were Cultivated
by the ROmsln MS.

Ever since the time of the cruel
Roman emperor who fatted the eels
in his tanks upon the bodies OF bis
slaves, some people have had u
prejudice against these fish, calling
them snakes in disguise. But eels are
true fish and breathe by gills; but the
openings leading to the gills are very
different in different species. ami
would take too much space to describe
here. They have scales, too; but
these are very minute, and only dis
coverahle when the skin is dried.
Excellent and nutritious when they
have clean food, it must be confessed
that eels are unclean feeders il they
have the chance, and those caught
about city wharves are the worst.
Pliny gives most curious details in
regard to the artificial ponds, in
which the ancient komans kept the
lamprey eels, of which they were So
fond. Lucullus had II pond contain
ing so many that at his death the fish
sold f r what would be equivalent to
800 900 OF our money. Favorite
lampreys were kept as, pets,
com ns at call to be. fed, and
adorned with jewelcd rings.
In tho middle ages and afterward
these eels were kept in ponds and
tanks by the monks and mobiles, and
used at great feasts, curiously stewed
with :all'sorts OF Condiments. Henry
[. Of England died Of a surfeit of eels.
the meat being very rich and difficult
OF digestion for many people.
OF all the eels, the sea conger Is the
largest and most formidable, except,
perhaps, the great sea eel OF the East
lndies. Our conger is often five or
-ix Ieet long, and as thick as d mans
leg. Such an eel as that creates a
great commotion wien hauled into d
tisning skitf where there Is not much
room.
t.el4 co omand high price in most
ma kets and, consequently, are caught
by variety uf methods. BobblrS Is
one at night, when eels are most az
tive and il effected 10y stringing worms,
oy means of Il needle and thread, So
as to make great loops or bunches at
the end oi IL pole or line. The eels
attack the wo ms and their teeth be-
coming entungled in the thread they
are jerked into Il boat before they can
st away.
Eel pots are used extensively.
Usually IL barrel is taken, baited vi h
fish heads or other ohal, and sunk by
il weight of stones. In the head is d
hole and II cone OF ozlers, or even a
warn stocking With the fJot cut oti and
nailed 10 the entrance by the upper
part. I greedy eels 90 in and then
cannot get out. Hundreds are often
caught III one pot i'll single night.
EelS are Speared, especially on the
mud fl IT'S OF the New jersey and
Long l-lind coasts, by day and night,
in the autumn, when the eels go into
the mud. The fisherman wades along
al low tide, and when he sees little
breathing no in the mud thrusts
dow II his many-tin d spear and gen
erolly draws forth his wrigeling prey.
In summer they 90 over the same
flats, at night, with torch over the
bow of sklti, and spear the eels or
the DO tom. These seem to be at
tracteu and confused by the light.
A numbe' OF boats thus employed
form very strange and pretty sight
on IL summer night.
The gll-net fishermen for shad hatt
the eels. The fish are often for two
or three hours in the net, and during
this interval the eels attack them
and are often hauled into the boat
with the sia |.
Few people fishing with the line
for amusement care to catch cells, as
they almost al Nays swallow the hook
and bait, tan lie the linz and cover
e,erything VITA their slime .-lGolder
| DAYS.